The Concept of an IR Knowledgebase
Navigating the world of investor relations can be complex. However, implementing Standard 11 of our series – establishing an Investor Relations (IR) knowledgebase – can make this journey smoother for investors and the IR team. A knowledgebase provides a centralised, online hub of Q&As designed to address investors’ queries, becoming an invaluable resource for new and seasoned investors.
3 practical tips:-
- Adopt a policy for every employee: If a stakeholder/investor asks a question: record it, answer it and upload it to the knowledgebase.
- World class management techniques applied in quickly growing tech companies adopt a simple mantra: “If you have to say it twice, write it down”.
- Be proactive and upload the Q and As from earnings presentations, but date stamp them. Over time the content will accumulate into a great historical, accessible archive.
How an IR Knowledgebase Works
The content of the IR knowledgebase grows organically over time, rooted in real interactions and investor enquiries. As it expands, the physical support required from your IR team proportionately decreases. Just like well-structured commercial knowledgebases diminish the necessity for extensive call centres, an efficient IR knowledgebase reduces your team’s need for constant direct engagement.
A tip:-
Schedule a regular review of the knowledgebase’s structure, usability and accessibility.
Keeping Share Registrar Service Providers Accountable
By providing real-time access to information, an IR knowledgebase serves as a continuous performance monitor for your share registrar service providers. It offers immediate insights into the number and nature of investor queries, the responsiveness of your team, the growth of your email list or mobile app followers, and the overall quality of interactions.
An insight:-
Share registrars do not typically have enforced SLAs with their listed company clients. They should. A knowledgebase support ticketing system can provide that check (for both commercial and IR queries)
Automating Interactions
Automation can streamline your knowledgebase further. Bots or response templates can handle appropriate queries, freeing your team to focus on more complex issues. This efficiency does not compromise the personal touch but augments it with accuracy and speed.
A tip (and this one is important):-
Be overly helpful and regularly review the automated text (called canned responses). We find that a review of canned responses every 6 months shows that they get out of date (inappropriate) easily.
The Value of Centralisation
A centralised IR knowledgebase should be a cornerstone of your communication governance function. It should be easily searchable, akin to a Google search bar, and be visible on both your website and your share registrar’s website. Full real-time analytics will keep you informed and responsive.
Insight:-
It’s easy to forget that a knowledgebase exists, but including analytics into periodic reports to management and the Board can serve as a valuable reminder to look at refreshing content.
More importantly, if all or most stakeholder engagement appears in a central platform, analytics can be easily curated into annual reports or sustainability content.
Growing Your Online Community
Every interaction within your knowledgebase provides an opportunity to expand your email list or mobile app followers. Each query answered not only helps the enquirer but also anyone else who may have the same question in the future. This functionality makes the knowledgebase a powerful tool for growing and nurturing your investor community.
Secret Sauce:-
A registrant in the knowledgebase will submit their email address to register a support ticket. Automate a follow-up email thanking them for the interaction, offering a quick survey and the ability to join your email list or app.
Conclusion: The Impact of an IR Knowledgebase
Creating an IR knowledgebase aligns with the broader goal of fostering an open, accessible, and efficient dialogue with investors and stakeholders. As part of a wider digital strategy, it amplifies your commitment to transparency, accessibility, and investor-centric communication. Your company’s credibility and reputation will thrive as you invest in the knowledge of your investor community.
Insight:-
This sort of interactive communication is a big tick box item for sustainability compliance and can be showcased in your annual report and sustainability reporting.
Useful Links
THE MINIMUM VOLUNTARY STANDARDS OF
Online Investor Relations Practices
Building effective online investor relations in emerging African markets presents unique governance challenges for public companies. Our guidelines aim to help these companies leverage their stock exchange listings and overcome communication hurdles.
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